Mass Effect 3 Alternate Ending and Epilogue
by Caileena
Summary: This is an alternate ending for Mass Effect 3 that I wrote based off my Female Paragon Shepard who romanced Garrus.


Mass Effect 3 Alternate Ending

Shepard stirred. The beam, everything bursting around her, Garrus and Liara were with her. Her eyes shot open to near darkness. Where were they? Where were the troops? Anderson? The dim red emergency lights that ran across the citadel floor were obscured by the layers of bodies around her. Some were soldiers, most were civilians. She pulled herself off the floor and spoke into her communicator, "Garrus? Liara? Anderson?" she was breathing heavily. "Anyone else make it?"

Her only reply was static. She thought about the blast, the ringing in her head, the flash that blinded her eyes. She didn't know if they made it. They could be in pieces already. There was a clatter behind her, she turned her head. There was a keeper heading toward a terminal, it looked strangely natural as its long legs carefully stepped over the bodies.

She was lightheaded; a deep gouge in her abdomen was flowing freely, joining the organic pulp covering the floor from the Reaper's victims. Her armor was destroyed by the blast, lodging shrapnel into her flesh, no medi-gel to help the pain. Blood splattered on the ground as she staggered forward.

She passed through the dead around her, stumbling occasionally. The keeper paid her no heed. She headed toward a door. Her hand pressed against the frame for support and beyond it she saw a pathway, leading up, to a well light area. "Dammit Garrus. You better be alive. I better not see you at the bar." She whispered into her communicator, "not yet."

A gasp came from beside her. A young woman, missing her legs, was rousing. She tried to speak, the murmur of the citadel drowned out her words; her lips formed _help_. Shepard continued to breathe heavily and pressed her hand over the wound to her side, the shrapnel cut deeper into her flesh.

"I'm sorry." She pushed herself through the doorway, towards the light ahead.

All around her the citadel hummed, she was in a place she had never seen before. She tried the communicator again, "You better be alive. All of you. I didn't come this far to fail you."

Going up the path she saw a room with an active terminal, if she could make there she could open the citadel. If she could just stay alive long enough _they_ could survive. Although she tried to go as fast as possible, her steps were slow, her feet dragged across the floor and she kept losing her balance.

Shepard stumbled as she clutched her hands at the terminal. "Spectre status recognized." Without hesitation she implemented the opening sequence. The ship jumped to the command and she fell to one knee. She had done it.

"Good job Shepard. Now the Crucible will be complete. Just what I needed."

She turned her head to see The Illusive Man.

"You've done me a great favor. Now I can direct it at your people and quell this pointless rebellion now. The reapers will see me as a great asset now."

His sickly face was coated in small metallic nodules. He raised a pistol at Shepard.

"I think I'll start with the Turians. You seem to have a fondness for them."

"You can't do this." The Citadel had begun its final sequence, almost open now. "This is exactly what the Reapers want, to make us kill each other. There is no sparing you. It was their plan all along."

"Too late Shepard. They have already improved me," he gestured to the nodules on his face with the hand that always held the cigarette he was so fond of. "I've helped them in many ways. I'm smarter than them, I can control this." He slowly took a drag from his cigarette, "and after I annihilate your fleet I'll give you to them. They are quite interested in you. Be proud Shepard. You will be harvested, and live forever within a Reaper."

"There is only death and enslavement with the Reapers. You've been working for the genocide of the galaxy." The Citadel stirred as the sequence finished. "Javik, the Prothean we found, he told us about the cycles. In his there was a group that worked against the Prothean Empire, thought they could work with the Reapers. They were indoctrinated. It was always the plan to turn you and Cerberus against all of us, to destroy us from the inside. They have been playing you from the beginning."

"They're not playing me!" he brandished the gun at her. "This is the only way." He lowered the pistol slightly, "they cannot be stopped. This is the only way to survive. They will wipe the slate clean again, just as they always have done, and _will_ always do. There is no other hope."

"There is." He was starting to blur, her eyes were so tired. "The whole galaxy is out there, prepared to fight. Look," she pulled herself up and touched a few commands on the console, the display showed the outside battle. The Turians were the closest to the Citadel, firing their heavy weaponry, while Geth fighters engaged the Reapers. "The Krogan are helping the Turians, the Quarians are defending the Geth's flank. No one thought they would ever work together but they are. They are going to fight, and with this weapon we are going to win."

The Illusive Man lowered his weapon to the side, "Shepard," the lit cigarette dropped from his hand, "I thought this was the only way. I never thought they would actually work together. I thought in the end I could save some of us."

"This is why you brought me back. You knew I could win this," she paused to catch her breath, "you knew then, I was the best chance at preparing the galaxy for the Reapers. That I would die protecting us." She clenched her teeth, trying not to whimper, "You've been indoctrinated, that's why you're holding that gun at me. You _knew_ back then what had to be done. We have to fight them."

"It's not that simple. You can't defeat them by words alone. There isn't time now. It's too late." The monitor alerted that a foreign vessel was docking.

"It's never too late. You just have to let me fire that weapon."

"I can't."

"_I_ can. Just let me do it. Help me save humanity."

"No Shepard," he brought the pistol up again, pointed at her, "they won't let me. I hear them," pistol still in hand, he held his head, "the whispering. It never stops."

"They own you. They know it, you're their puppet. Don't let them control you. You're better than this!" she began to fall, but caught herself on the console.

"No Shepard. This is why I brought you back; I knew you'd be better than this."

He turned the M-5 Phalanx to his temple and clenched the triggered. Shepard never closed her eyes. He fell back.

Shepard turned back to the console. EDI had already finished the integration, but was unable to remotely trigger the Crucible. The monitor showed the Geth fighters being annihilated, despite the Quarian's efforts. Shepard thought of Legion.

She targeted the nearest Reaper vessel and initialized automatic targeting, specific to the emission signature of Reaper vessels. White noise flooded her ears, her fingers began to lose feeling, and her breath was fast and shallow. Without the pressure from her hand, her wound was pouring blood, almost the same place as Thane's wound she noticed.

The monitor chimed that the targeting system was locked. She smiled.

The entire Citadel rumbled and she fell to one knee. The Reaper vessel nearby was ripped into pieces as the condensed energy beam hit it. The Geth fighters were caught off guard and quickly began to withdraw from the line of fire.

Shepard allowed herself to fall to her knees, propping herself up by one hand, her other pressed again into the wound full of the shrapnel that was once her own armor. She thought of Ashley and opened her communicator.

"I don't know if anyone can hear me. The weapon is automated. It will fire at any Reapers in the area." Closing her eyes, she took a moment to catch her breath. "I'm dying. I did what I promised. I didn't let anyone down. We got the bastards." She thought of Mordin. "It's…It's going to be okay."

Another rumble. Another Reaper vessel shredded to pieces. The fleet took the initiative and pressed the attack, making sure to stay out of the line of fire from the Crucible.

"Anderson, promise me you'll make sure London is alright." She noticed the pool around her, "There is so much blood. I don't have long,"

The Citadel rumbled again. Tears began to slip from her eyes, dropping into the carmine pool under her.

"Garrus, I'm so sorry," her breath rattled, "Sorry I won't be able to follow your order. I really wanted that life with you. Be strong. Remember what I told you….and I'll be waiting at that bar for you. I love you."

"Liara, never forget who you are, you're not the actions of your mother. You helped stop the Reapers and were a good friend. Enjoy writing my biography, do me justice. Please take care of Garrus." Her vision was blurry, and darkening.

She breathed deep with the next rumble and smiled. She was welcoming death as if it were a well-deserved rest. "Joker, I've always been able to count on you. Take care of EDI, and EDI, you take care of my best damn pilot….and friend."

Gasping one last time, her head slumped to the side. She felt one last rumble.

"There is still neurological activity coming from her cybernetic implants, but she's suffered a class four hemorrhage."

"Chakwas, save her. Now."

"By the goddess. So much blood. Her own armor impaled her. Can you save her?"

"I can if you two would help instead of worrying. Liara, the nano-enhanced adrenaline."

Shepard's eyes shot open. Her limbs were quickly surging with heat, and she painfully choked on her own breath. Everything was blurred; her own blood felt like it was attacking her veins.

Dr. Chakwas was in view, "Liara, pain killers, then proceed with the plasma transfusion." She was scanning Shepard with her omni-tool.

They had already inserted the drip; Liara pushed the drugs through it. Shepard recoiled as she felt more painful fire rush through her veins. She writhed, trying to pull away from the needle taped to her skin. Garrus held her down. "Dammit Shepard," he touched the side of her face with his hand, "let us help you. "

Shepard looked at him; she tried to open her mouth to say something but coughed.

"That's right, hold her." Dr. Chakwas didn't take her eyes off her omni-tool, "the nano-probes are rebuilding her from the inside to repair the internal bleeding. It's very painful but necessary. Drugs should kick in soon."

Liara threw the used syringe to the side and began the plasma transfusion.

Dr. Chakwas turned off her omni-tool, "serious shrapnel. Must remove now, hold her." Garrus did. Dr. Chakwas began to painfully, but carefully, remove the shrapnel from Shepard's abdomen.

Shepard took a few rugged breaths. Her head to the console, she could see better now, but her eyes were still blurry. EDI was at it, coordinating attacks with Tali and Anderson nearby. They were on the communicator; she could make out Hackett's voice.

"Garrus," she coughed, it was getting hard to breath, "it's okay. You can let me go."

"I'm never letting you go. We were on the way here when you were giving us your goodbyes." He turned her head back to him, "No way Shepard, you're not going anywhere without me."

Shepard started to wheeze, she couldn't breathe.

"Chakwas!" Garrus turned to the doctor, still holding Shepard's face, "Do something!"

Dr. Chakwas gave her another shot, her other hand never left Shepard's abdomen, "Anaphylactic shock from the pain killers. No need to worry Garrus, all normal." Shepard quickly began breathing, "And Shepard, there isn't any need for that. You'll be just fine Commander."

Shepard winced; the nano-probes were quickly and ruthlessly repairing what internal damage they could. "The Reapers?"

"Currently fleeing the battle Commander," EDI never turned her face from the console. "The fleet is currently in pursuit."

Shepard tried to sit up, "What can I do?"

Garrus held her where she was.

"Nothing. Because of you, we're winning." Liara was crying.

"Shepard, you don't need to fight anymore. Everything you worked for," he held her hand, "it's done."

The citadel rumbled as he kissed her forehead.

**Epilogue**:

**Commander Shepard:** After taking a few months to heal, Shepard absconded with Garrus to an unknown location. They left without telling anyone and stayed on a beach for six months.

On their return Shepard was told that the Citadel Council had left a seat open for her. She offered the seat to Anderson, who laughed at the idea. She settled into a peaceful life.

Thanks to her work preparing the Citadel, the Council was able to flee unharmed before Cerberus invaded. Thanks to her influence the Council was expanded to include the Geth, the Krogan, and the Quarians. The Shadow Broker supported the work of the Council and helped to ensure peace. The galaxy had never known a more peaceful time, and thanks to some new cybernetic enhancements suggested by the Geth, she was around for nearly a century to continue protecting her galaxy.

Although Shepard was never lax in her duties, she still made time to spend with her friends and her partner Garrus. It was easy for the two of them to spend time together; after all, Garrus became her favorite Spectre.

**Liara T'Soni:** Liara continued her work as the Shadow Broker for many centuries. After the decimation and retreat of the Reapers, many people tried to take advantage of the turmoil. She used her influence to quell any serious threats to galactic peace, and frequently leaked information to Shepard and the Spectres.

Liara worked closely with Javik, and thanks to their collaboration she became the foremost expert on Protheans in the galaxy. She wrote many popular books exploring their philosophy and culture, while becoming inseparably close with Javik.

**Garrus Vakarian: **Garrus stayed with Shepard while she healed, mostly to ensure she actually rested. Garrus reasoned that Shepard had spent enough time saving the galaxy, and when she became well enough to travel, asked her to go on a "short joy ride." They stayed, just the two of them, on a sunny beach, far away from civilization, until Shepard felt it was time to return to their responsibilities.

Upon his return he was informed that the Council had already declared him a new Spectre, and had been preparing his ceremony in his absence. He gladly accepted. He was a great Spectre, even though he spent most of his time alone with Shepard doing "special projects" as she called it, "calibrating" as he did.

Liara had also managed a surprise for Garrus. While he was away with Shepard she had managed to find the location of his sister, Solana, still alive and on a refugee vessel. After the Spectre ceremony, Garrus was reunited with her.

**Kaidan Alenko: **Kaidan stayed a Spectre for the rest of his life. He was pleased that Garrus was selected to become a Spectre, and never lets Garrus live down how many away missions he's assigned to how many local missions Garrus gets. Following the example Shepard had set for him, he dedicated his life to preserving peace.

Eventually, due in part to the Shadow Broker, research was funded to help those with faulty biotic implants. Through this research, Kaidan never suffered from his L2 implant again.

**Tali'Zorah: **After the Council selected Admiral Shala'Raan to join them as the Quarian representative, Tali took over her position in the fleet. Tali made great political strides with the Geth, and made sure that the real history of the Geth and the Quarians was known to all. Due to her work and honesty, the two races are living harmoniously together.

She now lives in a large house, full of big windows that she rarely closes. While her duties keep her busy, she always makes sure to invite her old friends over to enjoy the view from her place.

Eventually, Tali found companionship with a Geth engineer she had worked closely with for many years. She doesn't say much about their relationship except that she never thought she could be so happy.

**EDI: **EDI continued to learn more about humanity and individuality, never quite stopping her research. While many of her friends settled into more stationary roles, she never stopped exploring with Joker. Since she was part of the ship, but she was an individual, it was decided no one owned her and she was free to do whatever she wished.

**Jeff "Joker" Moreau: **After EDI was declared independent Joker asked if he could marry a ship. EDI didn't see why not, followed by a quick yes. They were married that day.

EDI and Joker explored the galaxy for many years; EDI was particularly fascinated by the Geth and wished to spend many years learning from them. Eventually, as Joker aged, EDI surprised Joker with a simple proposition: merge his consciousness with hers. For years she had formulated how with help from the Geth and the Shadow Broker. Joker did it in a heartbeat.

**Javik:** After the retreat of the Reapers Javik didn't know what to do. It was unknown whether the Reapers would return, or if they retreated for good. Liara made him an offer. If he would help her understand and write about the Protheans, she would do everything in her power as the Shadow Broker to find and excavate other potential Prothean survivors.

It took them almost a century but they did find one clutch of survivors. Twenty-three healthy Protheans were unearthed, and Javik had some semblance of his own world back. Javik and the other Protheans to this day continue looking for other survivors.

**James Vega: **After the retreat of the Reapers, James was immediately promoted and given his own ship. He invited Cortez and Dr. Chakwas to join him, and they did. It took James a while to fall into the role of commander, he was far more comfortable playing poker with his men than running drills, but eventually he became a respected and notable commander.

**David Anderson: **Immediately after the retreat of the Reapers, Anderson returned to London. He dedicated his life to rebuilding his home, only occasionally leaving to visit the Citadel. Due to his tireless efforts London was one of the first fully restored cities on earth.

Kahlee Sanders also loved London. Kahlee and David happily raised their daughter, Ashley Shepard Anderson, there.

**Urdnot Wrex:** Wrex, with Eve, ruled over the Krogan for the rest of their lives. Wrex was able to reform the Krogan for the most part, he was a major player in the cure for the genophage and that alone was reason enough to revere him. Eve restored the old role of women in the clans; once again they became respected advisors and beloved guides to their people.

While Wrex and Eve had countless children, his first three were named Mordin, Solus and Shepard. After that, Wrex demanded he have some say on what to name his own children.

**Grunt:** Wrex agreed with Shepard that Grunt should be the Krogan Councilor. While Grunt didn't enjoy the idea of being somewhere with nothing to kill, he acquiesced at Wrex and Shepard's explanation. Other Krogan might still cause trouble, but Grunt was different. He had worked with other races before the Reaper invasion and had learned their value. He had studied under his mentor, Shepard, and had grown wise from her guidance. And, lastly, if he got out of line, Shepard could set him straight without causing a diplomatic incident.

While Grunt pretended not to enjoy the Citadel, it was obvious he grew accustomed to it quickly. After the Krogan played such a large role in the Reaper invasion they quickly became respected. Grunt, in particular, became very popular with many Asari.

**Jack:** Jack continued her work with her students for the rest of her life and ensured that all biotic training was humane and ethical. She created the best, strongest and most resourceful biotics the Alliance had ever seen.

Jack had her own family in her students, and made sure they were never needlessly put in danger. She became a mother to them, a role she enjoyed more than she ever thought possible.

**Jacob Taylor: **Jacob was a great father to his children, and a great husband to Brynn Cole. He lived on the Citadel and worked with C-Sec, saying that the safest place he could think to raise a family was anywhere Shepard was.

**Miranda Lawson:** Miranda kept a low profile after the retreat of the Reapers. Although she was free from the fear of her father she was still concerned that Cerberus agents could still harm her or Oriana. It didn't take long for the Shadow Broker to contact her, offering her safety and a generous amount of credits, in exchange for employment.

Miranda took the job and was offered a lot of freedom in her tasks. In fact, all the assignments Miranda received were relatively pacific, never placing her in direct danger. Miranda and Oriana were safe and free for the rest of their lives.

**Kasumi Goto:** Kasumi was very valuable to the Council, but they couldn't in good conscience make her a Spectre. Instead they kept her as an official security consultant for the Citadel. She frequently worked with the Spectres and C-sec, but this was really the only socialization she had.

Kasumi never discarded Keiji's greybox and spent more and more time immersed in it. Eventually, she disappeared one day from the Citadel.

While Shepard was concerned, Liara calmed her fears. She said Kasumi was fine, and to think of Kasumi's disappearance as her retirement with Keiji.

**Samara: ** Samara returned to her daughter Falere and helped her rebuild the Ardat-Yakshi monastery. She stayed there for many years until the monastery was operational again, and at her daughters urging, left to help other Asari.

Samara spent the rest of her days following the Justicar code and immersing herself in helping others. She still had one daughter, and that love was enough to fuel her for many more centuries of work.

**Zaeed Massani: **Even though the Reapers were driven back, there were still pockets of Cerberus agents throughout the galaxy, and every race wanted them to pay for what they did. Bounties were placed on these agents, and Zaeed was happy to collect. He spent the rest of his life hunting down and exterminating Cerberus scientists, soldiers, and spies.

Zaeed made so many credits from these bounties he was able to quickly buy his own ship and assemble a crew, forming a new mercenary band that prospered even after Zaeed was gone.

.com/ 12


End file.
